The Sound Of Bells
by enticement
Summary: Not many asked her the question: what did she want. Really, what did she want? But before she could think it through she heard her voice tremble a bit and say, gently: "I want to stay in love with you." — nejiten.


sometimes I wish I wrote more for NejiTen, but whateves...so _meh! _:P

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**t.**_h_**.**e**. s.**_o_**.**u**.n.**_d_**. **o**.f. **_b_**.**e**.l.**_l_**.**s**.**  
and you _ask_ _**me**_ if I even **care**  
**don't** you _know_ the answer  
_rainy_ day _blues_ **never** felt this way  
**i **wanna _stay_ with _**you**_  
for the **rest** of my _**life**_

...

...

...

**x**

(--her depression sank even deeper with each sip of the liquid--) Maybe she is born with it, maybe its Maybeline_! _Maybe it's..._Neji_. Mentally Tenten spat his name like it was a dirty curse.

None the less, the wedding was amazing, she decided. (--she had seen quite a lot of weddings these past five years--) It was simple, only closest friends and her family. Still it looked _so _beautiful; both—bride and groom—decorated it in elegant traditions of his clan, with white lilies all around the room and the carpet on which she walked was overflowed with red rose petals.

The bride was dressed in kimono white as snow with red slash around petite waist, long hair pinned up in a most ridiculous manner with pearl pins (--and it looked a bit flax--) but none-the-less: fabulous. Pale face was dusted with white powder and full lips colored rose red. Green eyes stood out on this doll-like face as the lashes were full of volume.

(--she was the most beautiful thing the people in that room had seen--)

As the wedding went on the dark and broody groom—in his silky black traditional kimono and with his katana strapped to his back—somewhat relaxed a bit and seemed to enjoy himself and the presence of those annoying people who fussed all around him and his newly made wife. (--he even started to talk and not _just _grunt in response--)

And that was the wedding of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura.

Now, at the after wedding reception Tenten stood in a corner, kids table on her right and a insanely bright vase full of white lilies on her left, slowly sipping champagne and carefully observing the scene before her warm and deep hazel eyes. (--color that matched her curly hair which unusually she let down. but like always, only on a special occasion--)

At the moment she would like to think of herself as Lonely in Gorgeous but really she was just Lonely. And she also was bitter and sore.

A boyfriend that wasn't a boyfriend (--really who did he think he was_!_--) and dozens males all around her who wouldn't even _look_ in her direction, because a) she had a boyfriend (--please, then was the last time they were _together_--) and b) to then she was a girl who just happened to be a friend.

Frustration ran through her like the champagne she drunk. (--btw she needs another glass. where was that waiter?--) Why was that, Ino (--flirty, went-through-dozens-of-boyfriends-Ino, the one who visits a married man's home--) after all the gossip her persona was put through, is _still _center of male attention. Aside of the bride of course, no one would even _dare _to ignore the pretty maiden.

Feeling her bladder calling Tenten looked down and saw her drink had ran out (--and patience, frankly speaking this _wait _was bugging her more than those over sized breasts of hers--) well time to make a quit stop and then throw a tantrum and let _Neji_ pick up the pieces.

Muhahaha_! _Muhahaha_! _Muhahaha_!_Muhah_—fuck! _Note: never to laugh like a maniac then eating a cherry from a cocktail.

Still partly coughing from her incident Tenten made her way to the bathroom, twirling between people. Once inside she took a breath, and rushed (--with the speed Lee or Sasuke could envy--) towards one of those closely packed box-like "rooms".

Minutes later brunette kunoichi was washing her hands in the sink enjoying their unusual softness. A tune played in her head, so familiar yet she could not remember it's lyrics nor what it was about. So close, but the distance wouldn't close. (--_if I could fall into the sky. do you think time, would pass me by?_--)

A misty sent of citrus touched her nostrils.

Tenten narrowed her eyes and she saw brilliant white, red and pink. Sakura had entered the room, behind her the door still open and the noise of the party reached into the calmness of the ladies room. "I will be right back! And Ino keep the kids away from the cake!" She shut the door, and just like Tenten did before—she sighed. Deeply. (--in and out. in and out. in and out. in and out--) and the noise had dimmed and as if escaped the room. Only the sound of the water running.

She was beautiful, the sort of elegant natural beauty Tenten—with her roughness and angles—never hoped to achieve. (--_young and beautiful. someday your looks will be gone. when the others turn you off, who'll be turning you on?_ Sasuke, duh. oh_! _tenten was _not _just jealous of Sakura. drama queen Sakura?--)

Damn, you Marriage. (--go directly to Hell. do not pass 'Collect 200.000 yen' card--)

"Congratulations." (--don't sound so bitter tenten, it doesn't suit you--) "You must be really happy." Sakura shot her head up, confused.

"Huh?"

"I mean isn't this what you wanted all along?" Tenten shot her hands up. "Isn't this is what every girl dreams of? A happy marriage?"

Sakura's eyes shifted, she narrowed them slight and for a second they looked at brunette with pity. She had caught on—in just a second—on the frustration that made the weapon master so cranky. "Is this what you want?"

Red lips let out a small _pfff!_ "No." (--liar--) Sakura shook her head and disappeared in the toilet. Tenten studied herself in a mirror. Every day, only her will look back. She will never change.

"So how does it feel...you know. Being married?"

From the other side of the room, Sakura's voice shot back: "So far, annoying. These guests are going to be the death of me. Why did I call the whole family!?"

Tenten grunted. Mental note: don't call on the distant kin in a spring of the moment. "Are you happy then?"

Sakura came to her from the behinds, fixing her kimono. "Strangely yes. Don't give me that look, Sasuke is different. He's..._better._"

"So what did he do? Thrown chocolate at you and declaimed his undying love for you through a fifteen page poem?" Tenten's voice was a whisper, just like a hiss of a snake. (--Kami, don't let her sense the sarcasm. please, if you do I _will _join the "let's _not_ piss off the bride at her wedding" campaign. and I swear this one exists--)

"Love and forgiveness can't be brought with pretty words." Sakura too, had whispered, yet she sounded like a rustle of the leaves. (--that is the difference between her and me--)

"Sakura ever heard of a line from one song: _"Angie baby, you're special lady. Living in a world of make-believe."_ Huh?"

"Don't make fun of me Tenten. If I did not know anything about life then I wouldn't be standing here. _In this dress. _(--ouch. right, kick it where it hurts Sakura--) So I must have been doing something right. So wanna hear what I have got to say?" Tenten pushed her lips, she was not amused then someone ordered her around, especially then that someone was younger than her. Taking that as a forced okay, Sakura continued.

"The distance between me and Sasuke-kun had only harbonated my love for him. It grew deeper, _stronger_. True it's an odd love but still...it meant to be eternal—" And then Tenten's sappy emotions kicked in as Sakura's face shaded with lonesomeness. "—the realization that I had to be patient with it too had dawned upon me then he came back. It the first time he accepted me and the distance closed in. He was right there; just stretch of the hand and his face could be touched. Still...I made him work, god I was cruel—"

She laughed and the sound of that made Tenten want to smile again. She had heard about Haruno (--Uchiha. Uchiha. she's Uchiha. I wanna be Hyuuga_! _whineeee--) Sakura's '_dates'_. "—but it was a way to make him completely understand that my love will not be thrown back into my face anymore." Pink haired girl scoffed, which really didn't suit her dress.

"My advice. Wait, be patient. Don't rush him. Men don't like to be pushed." Sakura's stern face softened and Tenten felt that right now the ex-medic is _way_ older than her. Wise, somehow. Motherly. "But then they bring up your name in random conversations, you know it's true lov—"

"Forehead_!!_" Tenten (--if she was anything less than a magnificent ninja she is--) would have slightly jumped like Sakura did, instead she just ended up being faintly startled as a loud _bang! bang! bang! bang! _was heard delivered on the poor wooden door. "Get out! You have been in there _for ages_. Are you dead or something? No time for such things, this is your wedding that means you are committed—to the guests. So go on, get out of this bathroom. There are still people to be met, babies to kiss and ships blessed upon. Or whatever you and Sasuke do these days..."

"Alright pig, I'll be right there. Just don't break the door down. And if you dare to shout like that at _my wedding _again I will break every bone in your body_! _You hear me, piggy." Tenten rejected the need to pull a "face-meet-palm". The violent, love-sick childish girl was back. Woopee.

**xxx**

She wondered if there was a particular reason he would not marry her.  
_(--"You sound so needy Tenten... I hate needy women."  
"Hey, you know I'm a controlling, amazon of a bitch normally—allow me a moment of whining!"--)_

Perhaps it was the hair. Yes_! _it had to be the hair, what other reason there could be? (--cut it. change the hairstyle--)

Maybe it was another woman. (--could be possible. he was oddly happy those couple of days, and Tenten was sure the fact that his uncle has declared him the head of the main branch had _nothing _to do with it--) then again who could be he having an affair with? Hinata?..._eeewwwwww! _bad dirty images. Kinky images, hehe...(--keep the line of thought straight!--)

Or he had not believed in marriage just like he told her all those times? (--perhaps that was the reason indeed. why would he lie to her, she meant, who else would put up with him?--)

But like a typical female Tenten came to a conclusion: _Bullshit._

She should just dump his sorry ass and spread her awesomeness on another male. The one who will appreciate it. (--totally, best plan evar. but who will be the lucky guy? Shino? Lee? divorce Kakashi? hey the latter one is actually handsome--)

—then a voice crept into her mind: _or he just doesn't want you._

Tenten froze her mind blank. (--thinking. thinking. thinking. thinking. ..._pff!_--)

Tenten shook her head spreading the curly locks around her bare shoulders. Blue dress flowing down till she no longer could see her legs then_—why hello there. _She caught a glimpse of her own reflection of a smooth cold mirror in front.

In the evening she found herself beautiful. Perhaps it was the dimmed light or a night release of hormones but Tenten liked what she saw in the mirror. Her face seemed smoother, not as angled. Skin looked almost porcelain, tan seemed to wash out and aside from a small scar on the left cheek she appeared to be as flawless as a doll. She liked the way her lips naturally reddened and puffed, and how carelessly elegant coffee rich hair swung down, how her body looked leaner. Not as muscled, and almost feminine slim.

(--you are not the queen of the world. even if you feel like it. you are just drunk, she had to remind herself--) She would try to capture the mood and recall it in the morning then she wondered who was that awful mess that greeted her in a mirror. Still—

—Tenten slipped her champagne glass once again.

And she noticed Neji. Handsome as ever, that bastard, he spoke to some of the bride's relatives. Sakura's cousin...she thinks. Feeling confident about herself Tenten walked up to him thinking that right here and now she will create a scene and maybe even embarrass h—

"Tenten," he bowed his head lightly (--flipping gentleman--) like that was a proper greeting. "what do you want?"

_What did she want? _Not many asked her that question. Really, what _did _she want? She never had a plan, just went with the flow, but her lif—

—but before she could think it through she heard her voice tremble a bit and say, gently: "I want to stay in love with you."

His light (--lilac colored, almost blind by appearance--) eyes flicked to her darker ones, two seconds later they broke their gaze; he once again nodded, as if taking a mental memo, and was about to say something then his younger cousin—Hanabi—dragged him off saying something about Hinata and Konohamaru. Neji only shot Tenten a pleading look that screamed: _save me! _But Tenten let out a heartfull laugh. He isn't going to make it easy for her, so why shouldn't she do the same; still a small smile danced on Tenten's lips. (--maybe Sakura was right--)

An off tune voice broke into Tenten's dream world:  
—_me got a little crush I just can't get enough of that stuff it's such a rush  
1980 me dance baby you know you're gonna have such a good time welcome to 1980_—

She looked over her shoulder to see that Sakura's Uncle got his hands on a karaoke machine. Immediately everyone rushed over and fussed about it. Brunette even picked up voices of the newlyweds. Still, she laughed once again.

_...there is always tomorrow to wait for._

(--because she will wake up one morning to find a small wooden box on her dressing table—

—conceivably a diamond ring was hidden in its deeps--)

**x**

...

...

**eight** in the _morning_  
and i got **your** _letter_  
sealed with a _**kiss**_  
**p.s.** _**"**_things _will_ get better_**"**_  
and i **never** say no to _you_

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**F I N**

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**x**

a sequel to _Love! Love? LOVE_..., no? I promised didn't I, though this is less TeamSevenish)  
a load of crap, this ended up. :[  
p.s. need to kill the person who invented homework  
no! the man who created school  
Anarchy! ANARCHY! LET'S REBBEL!  
(am I over dramatic?)  
.rumour-kun.


End file.
